Plant for the manufacture of coffee extract.



L. ETAIX. PLANT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COFFEE EXTRACT. I

APPLICATION FIL ED AUG-3h 1916- 1 ,254, 129 u Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

Inventor:

" ann r,

. LOUIS ETAIX, DIE-PARIS, FRANCE.

PLANT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COFFEE EXTRACT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, aeae.

Application filed August 31, 1916. Serial No. 117,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS ETAIX, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plants for the Manufacture of Cofiee Extract, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a plant for use in the manufacture of a dry cofl'ee extract and its object is to provide means for the production of such an extract possessing all the flavor of coffee and containing all the aromatic and volatile substances thereof.

without alteration.

According to the present invention, the plant comprises means for heating cofiee so as to volatilize the aromatic substances thereof and means for bringing the volatilized aromatic substances, while in the volatilized condition, into contact with a previously dearomatized coffee extract, the.

said means constituting'an inclosed circulatory system.

One form of the present invention is illustrated diagrammatically, by way of example. in the accompanying drawing.

The plant illustrated comprises a number of retorts a a a suitably mounted in masonry and heated each by means of a suitable hearth 0. These retorts are intended to contain ground coffee from which the aromatic substances are to be extracted. Each retort has a charging apertured for the coffee to be distilled and a discharge opening e for the removal of the material deprived of its aromatic properties.

A supply of dry, cold air or of dry, cold inert gas is admitted into each retort through the hollow shaft of a rotatable device 7 having hollow perforated arms which extend into the mass contained in each retort: and, at the same time, .are adapted to effect a thorough agitation of the ground coffee, thus assuring an intimate contact and intermixing of the pulverulent mass with the air or gas.

The plant further comprises an aromatizing apparatus adapted to contain pulverized dry extracts prepared from coffee from which the aromatic substances have been through which the extract to be aromatized and the aromatized product are respectively fed and discharged.

'a pipe j communicating with each of the inlet pipes Is k is of the retorts a a a, while the outlet pipes Z Z Z thereof lead into a common pipe At its opposite end this pipe m is connected to the inlet pipe n n, n of the aromatizing receptacles b, b, bflwhile outlet pipes 0 0 0 lead into a common pipe pthrough which the gases which have been deprived of the volatilized aromatic substances of the coffee, are conveyed away. The outlet pipe of each of the retorts a a is connected to the inlet pipe of one of the adjacent retorts and the outlet pipe of the last retort a is connected to the inlet pipe of the first retort a likewise,the outlet pipe of each of the aromatizing receptacles b I)? is connectedto the inlet pipe of one of the adjacent aromatizing receptacles while the outlet pipe ofthe last receptacle 6 is connected to the inlet pipe of the first receptacle b Three-way cocks g, 1' are provided for each retort a, a a and similar cocks s, t, for the receptacles b b 7) in order to change at w1ll the sequence in which the retorts a, a, a and the receptacles b b, b are traversed by the air or gas.

The cocks z] and 1 respectively inserted in the inlet and outlet pipes of the retorts a a a are adjustedat first to such a position that the current of ."air or; gas flowing through the pipe 7' will passin'succession throu h the retorts a a a and then flow the material contained in retort a v same operation as that described in connection with retort a is carried out with retort a, and so forth.

The treatment of the cofi'ee in the variousretorts is thus always methodical, the exhaiisted material being periodically replaced by fresh coffee which is then at the tail end of the series of retorts.-

The aromatizing receptacles b b 12 are operated in thesame way, each of them in turn, being placed at the beginning or at the end of the series by appropriate adjustment of the three-way cocks s and t. a After having deposited the charge of aromatic substances in the aromatizing receptacle's b b b the air or gas is conveyed back to the pump a through the pipe It will thus be understood that 'by this arrangement it is ossible to convey the aroma from the initial material contained .in the retorts a a a to the dry extract in the aromatizing receptacles b b, b in a methodical manner and without losses 0ccurring in connection with the aromatic substances, since the operation is carried out in a closed circuit.

Two receptacles u and o are inserted in the suction and pressure pipes of the pump z'in order to insure a regular and continuous circulation of the gaseous medium.

It is obvious that each retort is provided with a. thermometer or other suitable means whereby the temperature of the contents thereof may be ascertained when desired. It will also be understood that the number of vessels for containing the ground coffee and those for the pulverulent de-aromatized extract may, of course, be varied, and likewise the order or sequence in which they are interconnected may also be varied without de arting'fron'i the spirit of the invention.

vhat I claim as new and desireto secure 7 by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A plant for the manufacture of cofiee extract, comprising a closed vessel adapted to contain cofi'ee, means for heating the said vessel so as to heat the cofie'e-therein at a temperature approximating that of'its point a of .torrefaction, a supply of cold air or of cold gas, .means for directing acurrent thereof throu h the coffee and means for directly trans erring thesaid current, loaded with volatlli'zed aromatic substances, to a previously dearomatlzed cofiee extract.

' substances,

2 A plant for the manufacture of codes extract, comprising a series of closed vessels adapted to contain cofiee, means for heating the said vessels to volatilize the aromatic substances of coffee therein, means for agitating the cofl'ee, a supply of cold air or of cold inert gas, means for passing a current thereof through the successive vessels and the coffee contained therein, a second series of vessels adapted to contain coffee extract, 1

means for conveying the said current of air or gas, loaded with the volatilize-d aromatic extract, comprising a series of interconnected closed vessels adapted to contain ground cofiee, means for charging and discharging the said vessels, means for heating the said vessels and the coffee therein, a supply of dry, cold air or of dry, cold, inert gas, a rotatable hollow agitator for passing a current thereof through the successive vessels and the cofiee contained therein and for simultaneously agitating the cofiee, a second series of interconnected closed vessels adapted to contain pulverized codee extract,

means for charging and discharging the latter vessels, means for conveying the said current of air or gas loaded with aromatic substances, volatilized from the cofiee in the first series of essels, to and throu h'the sec- 0 dseries of vessels and the co eeextract therein; three-way cocks for periodically cutting out'of the system the vessels in the first series when they contain exhausted coffee and like means forcutting out the ves-; sels of the second series when they contain saturated coffee extract, the respective threeway cocks also serving for varying the sequence .in which the current of air or gas passes through the vessels of the two series of closed vessels.

to and through the second sei In testimony whereof have hereunto 'afiixed my signature. 

